Mahābhārata (II)
- Language:
- English
- Status:
- Complete work
- Authorship:
- Attributed (authorship debated)
- Condition of the text:
- No scanning noise detected (automatic measure over the whole text, not checked by hand)
- Extent:
- ~830,000 words · 3,932 passages
Cite this work
- APAMahabharata. (n.d.). The Mahabharata, Vol. II (Books 4-7: Virata...Drona) — Ganguli [Mahābhārata (II)]. Digital reproduction: SigPhi. https://sigphiai.com/en/works/mahabharata/the-mahabharata-vol-ii-books-4-7-virata-drona-ganguli
- MLAMahabharata. The Mahabharata, Vol. II (Books 4-7: Virata...Drona) — Ganguli [Mahābhārata (II)]. Digital reproduction, SigPhi, https://sigphiai.com/en/works/mahabharata/the-mahabharata-vol-ii-books-4-7-virata-drona-ganguli.
- ChicagoMahabharata. The Mahabharata, Vol. II (Books 4-7: Virata...Drona) — Ganguli [Mahābhārata (II)]. Digital reproduction, SigPhi. https://sigphiai.com/en/works/mahabharata/the-mahabharata-vol-ii-books-4-7-virata-drona-ganguli.
Reference to the edition that SigPhi reproduces: SigPhi is its digital reproduction, not its publisher. The edition's year is not in the metadata (hence "n.d."), and the translator appears only when recorded.
What it is about
The second third: the Virata, Udyoga, Bhishma and Drona books — the year in disguise, the embassies that fail, and the first days of the battle.
Context and history
The Bhagavad Gita is here, inside the Bhishma book: the dialogue between Arjuna and Krishna just before the fighting. For centuries it has been read and printed as though it were a separate book, and it is worth remembering that in the poem it is not — it arrives after thousands of verses, and what gives it its edge is precisely that Arjuna already knows every man facing him. The translation is Ganguli's, 1883-1896.
Editorial context, not a citable source: unlike the passages of the work itself, these statements cannot be checked against the corpus.
Janamejaya said, “How did my great-grandfathers, afflicted with the fear of Duryodhana, pass their days undiscovered in the city of Virata? And, O Brahman, how did the highly blessed Draupadi, stricken with woe, devoted to her lords, and ever adoring the Deity[1], spend her days unrecognised?” Vaisampayana said, “Listen, O lord of men, how thy great grandfathers passed the period of unrecognition in the city of Virata. Having in this way obtained boons from the god of Justice, that best of virtuous men, Yudhishthira, returned to the asylum and related unto the Brahmanas all that had happened. And having related everything unto them, Yudhishthira restored to that regenerate Brahmana, who had followed him the churning staff and the fire-sticks he had lost. And, O Bharata, the son of the god of Justice, the royal Yudhishthira of high soul then called together all his younger brothers and addressed them, saying, ‘Exiled from our kingdom, we have passed twelve years. The thirteenth year, hard to spend, hath now come. Do thou therefore, O Arjuna, the son of Kunti, select some spot where we may pass our days undiscovered by our enemies.’ “Arjuna replied, ‘Even by virtue of Dharma’s boon, we shall, O lord of men, range about undiscovered by men. Still, for purposes of residence, I shall mention some spots that are both delightful and secluded. Do thou select some one of them. Surrounding the kingdom of the Kurus, are many countries beautiful and abounding in corn, such as Panchala, Chedi, Matsya, Surasena, Pattachchara, Dasarna, Navarashtra, Malla, Salva, Yugandhara, Saurashtra, Avanti, and the spacious Kuntirashtra. Which of these, O king, wouldst thou choose, and where, O foremost of monarchs, shall we spend this year?’ “Yudhishthira said, ‘O thou of mighty arms, it is even so. What that adorable Lord of all creatures hath said must become true.…